Lonicerae japonicae flos and Lonicerae flos: a systematic review of ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology

Abstract

Lonicerae japonicae flos (called Jinyinhua, JYH in Chinese), flowers or flower buds of Lonicera japonica Thunberg, is an extremely used traditional edible-medicinal herb. Pharmacological studies have already proved JYH ideal clinical therapeutic effects on inflammation and infectious diseases and prominent effects on multiple targets in vitro and in vivo, such as pro-inflammatory protein inducible nitric oxide synthase, toll-like receptor 4, interleukin-1 receptor. JYH and Lonicerae flos [called Shanyinhua, SYH in Chinese, flowers or flower buds of Lonicera hypoglauca Miquel, Lonicera confusa De Candolle or Lonicera macrantha (D.Don) Spreng] which belongs to the same family of JYH were once recorded as same herb in multiple versions of Chinese Pharmacopoeia (ChP). However, they were listed as two different herbs in 2005 Edition ChP, leading to endless controversy since they have close proximity on plant species, appearances and functions, together with traditional applications. In the past decades, there has no literature regarding to systematical comparison on the similarity concerning research achievements of the two herbs. This review comprehensively presents similarities and differences between JYH and SYH retrospectively, particularly proposing them the marked differences in botanies, phytochemistry and pharmacological activities which can be used as evidence of separate list of JYH and SYH. Furthermore, deficiencies on present studies have also been discussed so as to further research could use for reference.

Keywords: Interleukin-1 receptor; Lonicera japonica Thunberg; Lonicerae flos; Macranthoside B; Phenolic acids; Toll-like receptor 4.

Fig. 1

aL. japonica, bL. macranthoides,cL. hypoglauca, dL. confusa, eL. fulvotomentosa (www.sfda.gov.cn/)

Fig. 2

The major phenolic acids presenting in both JYH and SYH

Fig. 3

The major flavonoids presenting in both JYH and SYH

Fig. 4

The major iridoids presenting in both JYH and SYH

Fig. 5

The chemical structures of main saponins in SYH

Fig. 6

Proposed molecular mechanisms of anti-inflammatory activities of CGA (1) and CA (62). LPS lipopolysaccharide, IL-1 interleukin, MyD88 myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88, ACP acyl carrier protein, IRAK interleukin receptor associated kinase, IκBα I kappa B alpha, NF-κB nuclear factor κB, TLR4 toll-like receptor 4, TIRAP toll-interleukin 1 receptor domain-containing adapter protein, TOLLIP toll interacting protein, PKR double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase, CGA chlorogenic acid, CA caffeic acid, TRAF2 TNF receptor-associated factor 2, TAK1 transforming growth factor activated kinase-1, NIK NF-κB inducing kinase, IKKs inhibitor of NF-κB kinases, COX-2 cyclooxygenase-2, iNOS inducible nitric oxide synthase

Fig. 7

Proposed molecular mechanisms of anti-tumour activitiy of macranthoside B (267). TNF tumor necrosis factor, IAP immunosuppressive acidic protein, PARP poly adenosinediphosphate-ribose polymerase, APAF-1 apoptotic protease activating factor-1, Cyt-c cytochrome c, AMPK adenosine 5′-monophosphate-activated protein kinase, mTOR mammalian target of rapamycin, S6K1 p70 S6 kinase 1, Bcl-2 B cell lymphoma-2, Bax B-cell lymphoma-2 associated X protein, ROS reactive oxygen species